Right to Start Announces Launch of Michigan Starters Coalition
The Coalition Will Champion Entrepreneurship as a Civic Priority Statewide
Kansas City, MO – October 24, 2025– Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization championing entrepreneurship as a civic priority, launched last night the Michigan Starters Coalition, a statewide initiative to enhance the landscape of entrepreneurship. The Coalition will advance entrepreneurship as a civic priority across the state: educating civic and government leaders about removing barriers to starting and growing businesses, increasing public awareness of how entrepreneurship drives economic growth, and fostering a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem through collaboration and connection.
The coalition held a launch event at The LOVE Building in Detroit. The keynote speaker at the event was Alison Todak, Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Other speakers included Michael Hale Jr., Entrepreneur, and Project Manager in the Office of Mobility Innovation for the City of Detroit; Aaron Jackson, Executive Director of the BUILD Institute; Delaney Keating, Executive Director of 20 Fathoms, and Advocate for Right to Start; and, Kwaku Osei, Executive Director of The LOVE Building.
The Coalition is composed of the following initial Advisory Circle members: Diane Bouis, Board Member, BioMEMs Diagnostics; Carl Brown, Co-Founder, Startup Zoo; Milton Fletcher, Founder, Great Minds Coaching; Colleen Hau, Managing Director, Newlab; Aaron Jackson, Executive Director, BUILD Institute; Willard Kitchen, Special Advisor, AquaAction; Tim Moore, Founder and Co-Chair, Clixie AI; Kwaku Osei, Executive Director, The LOVE Building; Arabia Simeon, Founder, Politics on the Go; and Phillip Swanson, Head of Venture Development, Centrepolis Accelerator.
The Coalition will grow to include both organizational and individual members. Organizational members will include entrepreneur support organizations and other civic entities; individual members will include entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and other supporters of entrepreneurship.
Managing the growth of the coalition will be Mel Martin, Michigan Coalition Manager for Right to Start, and a resident of Detroit. He will be supported by Delaney Keating, Right to Start’s Advocate in Michigan, and a resident of Manistee. They will both benefit from the ongoing advice of Right to Start’s Ambassador in Michigan, Penny Lewandowski of Grand Rapids.
“Entrepreneurship is key to economic growth in America, and states play a crucial role in maximizing its potential,” said Victor W. Hwang, Founder and CEO of Right to Start. “That’s why I’m so pleased about the launching of this statewide coalition in Michigan, which has an extraordinary legacy of entrepreneurship on which to build and grow even more.”
“I’m excited to be championing entrepreneurship statewide through the Michigan Starters Coalition,” said Mel Martin, Michigan Coalition Manager for Right to Start. “Michigan has a long history of being in the forefront of entrepreneurship, but the benefits of entrepreneurship now need to be extended to every community in the interest of all Michiganders.”
New and young businesses create virtually all net job growth in America. They are leading indicators of GDP growth, and they increase community wealth and goods and services.
Every new business per 100 people adds nearly $500 to average household income in a county, according to data from the GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab. Every 1% increase in entrepreneurial activity in a state correlates with a 2% decline in poverty.
Right to Start’s expanding presence in Michigan is supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth through their Mastercard Strive USA program, which is funding similar work by Right to Start in three other states: California, Missouri, and North Carolina. Mastercard Strive USA supports small business resilience and growth in a changing digital economy by unleashing the potential of small businesses as catalysts of inclusive growth.
For more information, contact Henry Miller at hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com or 917-921-8034.
Right to Start is a national nonpartisan movement to advance entrepreneurship as a civic priority throughout the United States. Entrepreneurship has long been viewed as a solitary endeavor – the lone starter in a basement or garage. Right to Start’s vision is to transform America so that all communities prioritize entrepreneurship, clearing away obstacles to ensure that every American has an equal right to start and a level playing field on which to embark.
About the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs, and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth. For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on LinkedIn, Instagram and subscribe to its newsletter.
About Mastercard Strive
Mastercard Strive is a portfolio of philanthropic programs supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and funded by the Mastercard Impact Fund. With programs around the world, Mastercard Strive has reached more than 18 million small businesses to go digital, get capital, and access networks and know-how. Follow Mastercard Strive on LinkedIn and subscribe to its newsletter.